Killer Instinct is a free download for Xbox One that comes with Jago - but you have to pay for more characters.

The surprise Xbox One launch title will be available to download for free, and with the client you'll be able to play online and local multiplayer - but only with Jago.

The producer on the game at Microsoft Studios told Eurogamer at an event at E3 last night that the company decided to use this release strategy because when it comes to fighting games, most players only focus on a handful of characters.

"It's really impressive to have a roster of 50 characters, but how many of those characters am I really going to play?" the producer said. "And I have to buy a $60 game in order to play those one or two characters I want to play.

"Fighting games are big and expensive and they can be complicated. It's very hard to get good at a number of characters. You generally gravitate towards one or two or three or four at the most.

"We want players to be able to experience the game that way. Just buy the characters you want or buy them all and we'll give you a discount on that."

The producer said Microsoft hadn't decided how many characters would eventually be made available, but did confirm plans to release them over time, establishing a regular cadence to "keep people coming back and engaged".

Microsoft also wants community feedback to influence character design. A beta program will let players "get in even earlier" while the characters are in the development phase, thus allowing the developers to base them on feedback.

The producer refused to reveal exactly how much characters will cost to buy, but did say they will be priced "competitively" suggesting they will come in at the single digit dollar mark. Microsoft will also sell costumes and customisations for those costumes. These are purely cosmetic. Will Microsoft sell arenas? "There are still some aspects of what content we're giving away, what you'll grind towards and what you'll buy that we're working out," the producer added.

Ultimately, Microsoft wants as many people playing the new Killer Instinct as possible, hence the free-to-download business model.

Still, KI isn't that difficult a game to make, and it also was never a tournament level balanced game.

Give an okay studio a good project to rally around, they might be able to pull it off. Look at the Batman series, who would have thought those guys would have done so well with Batman with their track record?

"The producer on the game at Microsoft Studios told Eurogamer at an event at E3 last night that the company decided to use this release strategy because when it comes to fighting games, most players only focus on a handful of characters.

"It's really impressive to have a roster of 50 characters, but how many of those characters am I really going to play?" the producer said. "And I have to buy a $60 game in order to play those one or two characters I want to play."

That is just about one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Really Microsoft? You think you know what's best for gamers? Thanks for looking out for us. The world is a better place because of you. How's that XBox None DRM policy working out for ya?

well I did used to only play Vega and Chun Li, or in Mortal Kombat Shang Tsung.... still, why stop with the characters? I don't really need that fireball attack, so cut it and make it DLC. and do I really need all those stages?

Logged

Because I can,also because I don't care what you want.XBL: OriginalCeeKayWii U: CeeKay

"It's really impressive to have a roster of 50 characters, but how many of those characters am I really going to play?" the producer said. "And I have to buy a $60 game in order to play those one or two characters I want to play."

That is just about one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Really Microsoft? You think you know what's best for gamers? Thanks for looking out for us. The world is a better place because of you. How's that XBox None DRM policy working out for ya?

The only time I play fighters is when I have a group of friends sitting in my living room with me. Every person tries each character a couple times and we pass the controllers around. Is this not a thing for most people?

If you really want every character and would have been willing to drop $60 on the game, why is it so hard to just buy the full character pack? I imagine that with whatever discount they're giving for all of the characters that will ship with the game it will be in the same range as buying a full new game. Not that they've announced pricing for anything at this point.

If you really want every character and would have been willing to drop $60 on the game, why is it so hard to just buy the full character pack? I imagine that with whatever discount they're giving for all of the characters that will ship with the game it will be in the same range as buying a full new game. Not that they've announced pricing for anything at this point.

Often with free to play games, it often ends up costing a ridiculous amount of money to buy everything - much more than the game would cost if they just sold the whole thing. I have no idea if that will happen here, but I'm very wary whenever I see "free to play".

Logged

"Why did the chicken cross the Mobius strip? To get to the same side." - The Big Bang Theory

If you really want every character and would have been willing to drop $60 on the game, why is it so hard to just buy the full character pack? I imagine that with whatever discount they're giving for all of the characters that will ship with the game it will be in the same range as buying a full new game. Not that they've announced pricing for anything at this point.

Often with free to play games, it often ends up costing a ridiculous amount of money to buy everything - much more than the game would cost if they just sold the whole thing. I have no idea if that will happen here, but I'm very wary whenever I see "free to play".

There's usually some way to unlock stuff like characters for free though via time investment. Looking at LoL and Dota, you only have to pay for aesthetic items with hard cash, while you can get everything else via in game currency.

Some long time XBL subscribers are getting notified that they will get Killer Instinct (all characters unlocked) for free, it's pretty unclear what the criteria for qualifying are at this point, but some folks here surely will get it I think.

Some long time XBL subscribers are getting notified that they will get Killer Instinct (all characters unlocked) for free, it's pretty unclear what the criteria for qualifying are at this point, but some folks here surely will get it I think.

I got it!

So, they are trying to sway me into getting an XB1 this year....hmm....it may be working....

Some long time XBL subscribers are getting notified that they will get Killer Instinct (all characters unlocked) for free, it's pretty unclear what the criteria for qualifying are at this point, but some folks here surely will get it I think.

yeah i got it

they said they will remind me on 22nd November..shame i wont have an xbox one then(how long will the promotion last?),they have also been giving away Xb1s as well...of course,i didn't get that one